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Waiting on Wednesday: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids

by Sarah Ockler

Coming June 2015

Simon Pulse

Summary:

Sometimes, there are no words…The
youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for
stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most
beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.

Seeking
quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove.
Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is
everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for
swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to
pry—except for one.

Christian Kane is a notorious
playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only
person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He
challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats
his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary
mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the
Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of
the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves,
though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the
Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what
she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means
finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart
to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .

Why I Want It:

SARAH OCKLER *glomp* I fell in love with Sarah's books two years ago when I binged on Twenty Boy Summer (*sobs quietly*), Fixing Delilah, and Bittersweet. Now, I wait anxiously each year for her to announce a new project. And then I wait anxiously on the title. And the cover. And especially the book itself. I love Sarah's books because they're fun to read, but there's still depth to these sweet contemporary tales.

Why I think you should want it:

Sarah Ockler, in addition to writing amazing stories, is a champion for diverse ya books. Best of all, she's vocal about diversity online (READ THAT LINK!!!) AND in her books, but what she writes in her books isn't diversity for the sake of diversity. Her characters are real, dynamic people, not just flat caricatures of diversity. Bonus points for creating sympathetic characters that are highly relatable despite cultural differences. If you're looking at that gorgeous cover above, you know this is going to be a book that accomplishes this. MAD PROPS to Simon & Schuster for having not one but two biracial romances (that I know of) scheduled for 2015 (the other is Jennifer Echols's Most Likely to Succeed). I'm also very intrigued to see Sarah's take on the playboy-who-has-inner-depth. If you would like to read further about my crush on Sarah's books, check out my review of The Book of Broken Hearts and the interview I did with Sarah for #scandal.

What are you waiting for today? Please share your picks and links in the comments, as well as your thoughts on The Summer of Chasing Mermaids!